The present invention relates to a picture synthesizing apparatus for carrying out a picture synthesis on base-picture data and mixing picture data at a transmittance ratio and for carrying out a fade processing based on the transmittance ratio and gain information in an integrated and coordinated manner. The present invention also relates to a picture processing apparatus for synthesizing an input picture and mixing picture data to produce a picture to be recorded and for synthesizing reproduced picture data and mixing picture data to produce an output picture by means of the picture synthesizing apparatus.
There has been becoming popular a digital camera which allows picture data to be recorded into recording media such as a semiconductor memory, a magnetic disc and an optical disc. In order to make such a digital camera capable of carrying out a fade-in process, a fade-out process and a process to synthesize a mixing picture, the related art digital camera is provided with a fade processing circuit 102 and a mixing processing circuit 103 as shown in FIG. 1. In such a configuration, the fade processing circuit 102 is used for carrying out fade-in and fade-out processes whereas the mixing processing circuit 103 is used for performing a synthesis process.
In the digital camera shown in FIG. 1, base picture data to undergo a fade processing is supplied to the fade processing circuit 102 by way of an input terminal 101. A white-color picture signal, a black-color picture signal and gain data are also supplied to the fade processing circuit 102.
The fade processing circuit 102 synthesizes the base picture data with the white-color picture signal or the black-color picture signal in accordance with the gain data in order to carry out fade-in and fade-out processes.
To put it in detail, a fade-in process is carried out by initially setting the gain for the white-color or black-color picture signal at a large value and the gain for the base picture data at a small value and then gradually decreasing the gain for the white-color or black-color picture signal while gradually increasing the gain for the base picture data. If the white-color picture signal is selected in the fade-in process, a picture will appear gradually from a white-color display. If the black-color picture signal is selected in the fade-in process, on the other hand, a picture will appear gradually from a black color display.
On the contrary, a fade-out process is carried out by initially setting the gain for the white-color or black-color picture signal at a small value and the gain for the base picture data at a large value and then gradually increasing the gain for the white-color or black-color picture signal while gradually decreasing the gain for the base picture data. If the white-color picture signal is selected in the fade-out process, a picture will disappear gradually, turning into a white-color display. If the black-color picture signal is selected in the fade-out process, on the other hand, a picture will disappear gradually, turning into a black color display.
A base picture output by the fade processing circuit 102 is supplied to the mixing processing circuit 103. The mixing processing circuit 103 superposes an OSD (On Screen Display) picture on the base picture. OSD data is supplied to the mixing processing circuit 103 by way of an input terminal 104 thereof. On the other hand, transmittance data is supplied to the mixing processing circuit 103 by way of an input terminal 105 thereof.
The mixing processing circuit 103 superposes the OSD (On Screen Display) data received through the input terminal 104 on the base picture received from the fade processing circuit 102. The transmittance indicates a priority given in a synthesis of the OSD picture on the base picture. To be more specific, an opaque transmittance indicates that the OSD picture is to be displayed on a portion where the base picture overlaps the OSD picture. A semi-transparent transmittance indicates that an intermediate value between the base picture and the OSD picture is to be displayed on a portion where the base picture overlaps the OSD picture. A transparent transmittance indicates that the base picture is to be displayed on a portion where the base picture overlaps the OSD picture. A result produced by the mixing processing circuit 103 appears at an output terminal 106 thereof.
Examples of the OSD picture are a design pattern and an animation character picture. In this case, a design pattern and/or an animation character picture is superposed on a base picture. In addition, a shrunk picture of an already picked-up picture used as an OSD picture makes a thumbnail showing a typical configuration of a picture display system of a digital camera employing a fade and mixing processing circuit implemented by the fade processing circuit 102 and the mixing processing circuit 103 described above. In FIG. 2, reference numerals 111 and 112 each denote a fade and mixing processing circuit. The fade and mixing processing circuits 111 and 112 each comprise the fade processing circuit 102 and the mixing processing circuit 103 as shown in FIG. 1. The fade and mixing processing circuit 111 carries out fade processing and mixing processing on a picture received from the camera. On the other hand, the fade and mixing processing circuit 112 carries out fade processing and mixing processing on a playback picture.
A memory 113 is used for storing a variety of mixing pictures such as a design pattern, an animation character picture and a shrunk picture of an already picked-up picture. Picture data to be superposed on a base picture in a camera-picture recording operation is read out from the memory 113 and set in an OSD-data processing circuit 114. On the other hand, picture data to be superposed on a base picture in a playback operation is read out from the memory 113 and set in an OSD-data processing circuit 115.
In an operation to record a camera picture signal, picture data generated by a camera-signal processing circuit 116 and picture data generated by the OSD-data processing circuit 114 to be superposed on the base picture are supplied to the fade and mixing processing circuit 111. The fade and mixing processing circuit 111 carries out fade-in as well as fade-out processes and superposes picture data received from the OSD-data processing circuit 114 on picture data received from the camera-signal processing circuit 116. Picture data output by the fade and mixing processing circuit 111 is supplied to a recording processing circuit 117 which records the picture data into recording media such as a semiconductor memory, a magnetic disc and an optical disc.
In an operation to play back picture data from the recording media, on the other hand, picture data generated by a playback processing circuit 118 and picture data generated by the OSD-data processing circuit 115 to be superposed on the base data upon playback of picture data recorded in advance are supplied to the fade and mixing processing circuit 112. The fade and mixing processing circuit 112 carries out fade-in as well as fade-out processes and superposes picture data received from the OSD-data processing circuit 115 on picture data received from the playback processing circuit 118. Picture data output by the fade and mixing processing circuit 112 is supplied to a video-output-signal processing circuit 119.
As described above, in order to make the related art digital camera capable of carrying out a fade-in process, a fade-out process and a process to synthesize a mixing picture, it is necessary to provide the digital camera with the fade processing circuit 102 and the mixing processing circuit 103 as shown in FIG. 1. In addition, in the configuration of the related art digital camera, the fade processing circuit 102 and the mixing processing circuit 103 are independent of each other.
In the configuration shown in FIG. 1, however, after the fade processing circuit 102 carries out a fade-in or fade-out process, the mixing processing circuit 103 synthesizes a mixing picture. For this reason, neither fade-in process nor fade-out process can be carried out on a mixing picture. In order to perform a fade-in or fade-out process on a mixing picture, it is necessary to provide another fade processing circuit at a stage behind the mixing processing circuit 103. Such another fade processing circuit will make the circuit configuration complicated.
In addition, in the configuration like the one shown in FIG. 1, the fade processing circuit 102 is designed to carry out only a black or white fade processing. With such a configuration, a cross fade processing can not be performed. In order to make the fade processing circuit 102 capable of carrying out a cross fade processing too, a processing circuit is further needed, making the circuit configuration complicated.
Furthermore, in the configuration of a related art picture display system of a digital camera like the one shown in FIG. 2, processing of a recording system is carried out in a manner completely independent of the processing of the playback system. Thus, the recording system is provided with the OSD-data processing circuit 114 and the mixing processing circuit 111 while the playback system is provided separately with the OSD-data processing circuit 115 and the mixing processing circuit 112. As a result, the circuit is large in size.